The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington is accepting applications for its new 10-month Master of Arts (MA) degree in Applied International Studies (MAAIS). This accelerated program is designed for U.S. and international professionals with experience in a variety of fields, including business, government, military, philanthropy, and international development.

The MAAIS program expects to “benefit from Seattle’s relationships with Asian countries as a significant port city and trade partner, and the region’s many international leaders in business, technology, non-governmental organizations, and global health.” MAAIS students will engage with Jackson School faculty to study the complex interactions among major regions of the world that drive global events.

“Over the years, we have received many requests for such a program from public and private agencies and foreign governments that are interested in providing their employees with the skills necessary to be successful in our interconnected world,” said Jackson School Director Reşat Kasaba. “We are pleased to respond to this demand and put together a world-class program.”

The program director is Jennifer Butte-Dahl, who has experience working with a small nonprofit in South Africa and more recent experience in the telecommunications industry in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

“We need to prepare students for a world in which NGOs, businesses, and governments are working together to tackle increasingly complex global challenges,” Jennifer Butte-Dahl. “This is an area in which Seattle has so much to offer, and we want to tap into that well of expertise.”

After graduating from Georgetown with a Master of Science in Foreign Service, Butte-Dahl began a career with the State Department, working in Washington, D.C., and abroad. During the course of her State Department career, she managed relations with the U.S. Congress on Middle East policy, served as the political adviser to a U.S. Army general charged with liaising between Israeli and Palestinian security forces in Jerusalem, worked for the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and served as a senior adviser to the Deputy Secretary for Resources and Management.

The first MAAIS cohort will begin in autumn quarter 2014 and conclude 10 months later, after summer “A term,” in July 2015. Applications are due April 4, 2014. (end)

For more information and to apply, visit http://jsis.washington.edu/maais/ or e-mail degrees@pce.uw.edu or call 206-897-8939 (toll free 800-506-1325).